October 6th 2009,

Known as the consumption leaders, Japanese women in their twenties carry the most sway when it comes to spending on the latest fashion apparel. This group of women traditionally made up of college students and office workers ( usually single) generally do not have to worry about screaming kids or demanding husbands and therefore have more disposable income.

100 respondents were surveyed in the Tokyo metropolitan area to ascertain the latest fashion tendencies and intriguing styles. Topics covered throughout the market insight included income, expenditure on fashion, favorite brands and personalities who influence their decision making.

73% of these women spent between $50 -$300(USD) per month on their fashion. Design was the key factor for them rather than price and they appear to be most influenced by friends or the shop staff when making the purchase. Fashion magazines were their preferred media outlet with 45% using this option compared to only 6% using TV and the internet.

The most popular non-Japanese brands were Coach and Louis Vuitton followed by Vivienne Westwood. Interestingly, the UK designer made it into the top 3 which was not the case in the previous two reports for women in their thirties and teens. Also, foreign handbags were most popular among this age group as 4 out of the top 5 were international brands which included Coach, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu and Chanel. Miu Miu (the daily-oriented, younger clothing line from Prada) once again made an appearance as one of the most popular shoe brands coming 2nd to the Japanese maker, Pool Side. Amazingly, 97% of the women primarily shopped most frequently at stores (department stores, small boutiques or specialty stores) perhaps due to having more free time to indulge in life`s luxuries. 20% of the women also used online shopping.

Their favorite item was the summer (one piece) dress. The most popular fashion brand was Lowrys Farm (Japanese basic casual wear maker for young women) due to its design, comfort, affordability and cute style. The report highlighted the fact that not only do these women tend to spend more on fashion than other age groups but also they are clearly happy to spend on both the high-end designers as well as low-end ones.

For the complete market report, including full lists of favorite fashion brands and stores, feel free to contact us directly. Sections of this report are available for free to our Hello-Global.com subscribers.

Contact:

Anthony Grell

Business Development

1-2-20 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0022. Japan

Tel: +81-3-6721-8114

E-mail: [email protected]

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